Gingerbread Latte Sandwich Cookies are soft and chewy with the perfect balance of warm holiday spices, rich caramel-like flavor, and creamy latte-infused buttercream frosting! Serve them with a tall glass of creamy milk or latte.
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If you love these Gingerbread Latte Sandwich Cookies, try these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies or Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Gingerbread recipes are most popular during the holidays! Those warm spices with rich molasses flavor are delicious and comforting. Over the years, I've become more adventurous in my gingerbread desserts, making gingerbread cheesecake, pudding cakes, and even gingerbread tiramisu!
Today's gingerbread latte sandwich cookie recipe adds pure decadence to an old classic treat with the addition of latte buttercream frosting, sandwiched between two cookies.
Rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar also offers an irresistible bit of crunch, similar to these Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Why My Recipe
- Irresistibly soft and chewy with a mixture of sweet, spicy, rich caramel, and latte flavors all melded into one treat!
- Perfect as a make-ahead holiday recipe since the cookie dough needs to be chilled first.
- An easy way to turn regular gingerbread cookies into fun and decadent Christmas cookies that the whole family will love.
David
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Butter – Softened at room temperature for easy mixing. I use unsalted butter in baking, but salted can be used instead if you omit the salt from the ingredients.
- Sugar – The cookie dough calls for dark brown sugar which adds to the rich flavor and moisture as well as regular granulated sugar which balances slightly bitter notes from the molasses.
- Molasses – A classic ingredient when baking gingerbread-inspired treats. It makes the baked cookies deliciously chewy and adds a rich caramel-like flavor that is slightly bitter.
- Eggs – Best to first bring to room temperature for baking.
- Vanilla – A small amount in baked treats really enhances the flavors.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is my go-to sturdy flour for baking. You can use a gluten-free blend instead, if needed.
- Baking Soda – To give the cookies rise.
- Cream of Tartar – This ingredient acts as a stabilizer, preventing the formation of sugar crystals for a chewy texture.
- Spices – Ground nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger all add delicious warmth to these gingerbread sandwich cookies. These are the typical spices found in gingerbread treats.
- Salt – This enhances the flavors in the cookie dough. Omit the salt if you choose to use salted butter.
- Turbinado Sugar – This is used for rolling the cookie balls in before baking, offering a little crunchy texture.
- Frosting – I've made a decadent butter frosting for these sandwich cookies, consisting of softened unsalted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and brewed and chilled espresso for the latte flavor!
IS CREAM OF TARTAR COMMONLY USED IN COOKIE RECIPES?
Cream of tartar is often added as an ingredient in cookie recipes like snickerdoodle cookies, where you want to achieve a chewy texture. It does this in two main ways:
- First, it helps to prevent sugar crystals for a smoother texture.
- Secondly, it works well in combination with baking soda to create leavening action so that the cookies don't become overly dense.
If you don't have cream of tartar for these gingerbread latte sandwich cookies, use another acidic ingredient, such as fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Use 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Since this recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, you'll need 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar.
WHAT'S THE POINT OF CHILLING THE COOKIE DOUGH?
It's true that not all cookie recipes call for chilling the dough before baking the cookies. In this gingerbread latte sandwich cookie recipe, it's an important step that shouldn't be skipped, and I'll tell you why:
A fluffier texture: In cookie recipes that use a good amount of butter, the way to prevent the cookies from spreading too thin while baking is to solidify the fat by first chilling the dough in the fridge. It will take the fat in the raw cookie dough longer to melt which will result in chewier cookies that are more pillowy – perfect for sandwich cookies!
Flour hydration: Believe it or not, but flour needs some time to absorb moisture if you want chewy cookies. Giving these cookies extra time to sit does just that!
Increased flavor: Many bakers believe that flavors in cookie batter develop further if given time to meld together while chilling.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Reheat
- Fridge: Want to make these gingerbread sandwich cookies in advance? No problem! I recommend that you make the cookie dough and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to store in the fridge for 2-4 days. Remove the dough from the fridge to soften slightly and then roll and sugarcoat the balls to bake.
- Reheat: Cover and warm in a 325°F oven or gently in a skillet with a splash of marinara.
- Make ahead: The buttercream frosting can also be made up to 1 week ahead of assembling these cookies and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Since the buttercream will harden slightly, give it a whip with a whisk or hand mixer to make it light and fluffy again.
- Freeze: Baked and cooled gingerbread cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months and thawed at room temperature. The buttercream frosting will last for up to 3 months in the freezer, brought again to room temperature and whipped before adding to the cookies. Alternatively, fully assemble your gingerbread latte sandwich cookies and then freeze them for up to 2 months. Make sure that the cookies are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
- Room Temperature: Store these gingerbread sandwich cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days only as the buttercream frosting can soften.
- Refrigeration: Store these gingerbread sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: These assembled cookies will last in the freezer for up to 3 months when stored correctly. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge.
MORE GINGERBREAD RECIPES
Gingerbread Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Gingerbread Latte Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ c molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 ¾ c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- Turbindado sugar for rolling cookies need about ½ c
- For Frosting:
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2-3 Tbsp brewed and chilled espresso
- 2-3 c powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the molasses, eggs and vanilla and beat some more.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop and make even size balls and place them on a baking tray and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the cookies and roll each ball in the turbinado sugar and place on another tray about 3” apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn slightly golden.
- Place on a cooling rack and let the cookies completely cool. Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, vanilla and espresso until smooth. It may help to slightly melt the butter while creaming. Add in the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Place into a frosting bag with a tip of choice. Turn half of the cookies over and pipe a swirl of frosting to cover the entire cookie. Place another cookie on top and gently press down to create a sandwich. Repeat until all the cookies are sandwiches.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
While most recipes for traditional gingerbread men or gingerbread houses turn hard once baked and only soften later, these cookies are chewy and soft! The texture of these cookies is a result of the amount of butter used and the leavening agents, such as cream of tartar and baking soda.
Absolutely! You can enjoy vanilla buttercream frosting or even add in some cinnamon. Add milk or water for the liquid component to adjust the consistency of the frosting when removing the brewed coffee.
Yes! Use a gluten-free flour blend or a gluten-free flour brand, such as King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill which is a 1:1 substitution.
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